Mounting bracket



June 2, 1964 A. E. GLEDHILL MOUNTING BRACKET Filed Feb. 6, 1961INVENTOR. ARTHUR E. GLEDH/LL BY g A TTO S zE Y5 United States PatentOffice 3,135,489 MOUNTING BRAEKET Arthur E. Gledhiil, West Hartford,Conn, assignor to The Stanley Works, New Britain, Conn., a corporationof Connecticut Filed Feb. v6, 19.61, Ser. No. 87,441 2 Claims. (Cl.248-223) This invention generally relates to mounting brackets and ismore particularly concerned with an improved bracket assembly for rodsthat are used to support draperies, curtains, and the like.

An object of this invention is.to .provide an improved bracket assemblyof the type described that permits easy adjustment of rod positionwithout requiring removal or disassembly of the bracket while permittingremoval and replacement of the rod without altering its pro-adjustedposition. 7

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved bracketassembly having component parts that are easily assembled anddisassembled and which permit accurate positioning of the rod beforeassembly of the bracket.

An additional object of this invention is to provide an improved bracketassembly that is simple in construction, which can be easilymanufactured and assembled, which is sturdy and yet gives a neat andsmooth appearance at low cost.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of theapplication which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodi ment of a bracket ofthis invention with a traverse rod shown in phantom and assembledthereon; and

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the bracket assembly of FIG. 1.

The illustrated preferred embodiment of this invention comprises a base2, a supporter bracket housing 4 and a supporter bracket extension 6. Ascrew 8 extends through an elongated slot 10 provided in the housing 4and threadedly engages the side walls of aperture 12 provided in bracketextension 6 for adjustably securing the extension 6 in the housing 4.The bracket base 2 is associated or secured directly to the window sill,wall, or the like, by any desirable fastening means 14. The traverse orcurtain rod 16 (shown in phantom in FIG. 1) is secured to the bracketassembly by means of a screw 17 passing through a suitable aperture inthe flange 18 overlying the extension 6.

The base 2 is of sheet metal construction and has two pairs of inwardlybent, integral ears or flanges 24 and 26 positioned at the corners ofthe base and opening toward the center thereof. Each pair of flanges c0-operates to form a slot that tapers inwardly from its upper end. The twopairs of flanges can be said to define a single tapered side wall slotwith the central side wall portions at 27 removed. Protrusions 28, madeby deforming a lower central portion of the base, are locatedimmediately below the lower inwardly extending flanges 26 to providestops for the assembled housing 4 as hereinafter explained.

The housing 4 is also of sheet metal construction and is spot-weldedalong its upper face between the overlapping lateral flanges 30 and 32to form an integral rectangular box structure that is extremely light inweight and economical to construct and yet is capable of supportingsubstantial vertical loads without requiring a sub- 3,135,489 PatentedJune 2, 1964 stantial width between the lateral faces 34 and 36. Theinner or rear end of housing '4 is provided with two pairs of outwardlyextending flanges 38 and 40 having inwardly tapered edges generallycomplementary in shape to the slots formed by base flanges 24 and 26.The housing 4 is installed on the base 2 by positioning the flanges 38and 40 above the slots formed by the flanges 24 and 26, re spectively,and by then sliding the housing 4 downwardly until the lower lateraledge of the flanges 40 engage the stop protrusions 28. The cooperationby the flanges 38 and 40 with the slots formed by the flanges 24 and 26,respectively, provides an assembled relationship that precludes.transverse relative movement between the base 2 and housing 4. Thedimensions of the flanges 38 and 40 and the slots are made to provide aslight frictional engagement between the tapered edges of the housingflanges and the base flanges without the engagement being so tight as tomake removal diflicult. The protrusions 28 limit the downward movementof the housing to thereby assure that an overtight engagement isavoided.

The extension. 6 has substantially the same height dimension between theedges 42 and 43 as the vertical height of the opening in the housing 4,thereby providing a rigid relationship in the vertical direction betweenthe housing 4 and the extension 6 when assembled. The extension 6 isdeformed to provide outer flange portions 44 and 46 located in a planeparallel to a central base portion 48. Upon assembly the flange portions44 and 46 slidingly engage the internal face of the side 34, and thecentral base portion 48 slidingly engages the internal face of the side36. This arrangement enables the extension 6 to be securely retainedwithin the housing 4 and yet easily adjusted upon loosening the fastener8.

In order to enable one to facilitate adjustment of ex tension 6 withinthe housing 4 so as to space the rod 16 from the wall or window sill,numbers are inscribed on the base portion 48 of extension 6. By aligninga selected number with the edge 50 of housing 4, a selected adjustmentof the extension 6 can be made. By presetting each extension 6 to thedesired spacing position prior to installation, the installation isfacilitated since further adjustments thereafter are unnecessary. Thehousing 4 and bracket 6 have slots 52 and apertures 54, respectively,thereon to provide means for hooking the curtain or drapes upon thebracket. Similar slots 52 are located on the opposite face 34.

Since the housing 4 and the extension 6 are entirely symmetrical, thesame bracket assembly is used for both the right and left side supportfor the curtain rod. The right side bracket is shown in the drawings;however, the left side bracket may be formed with the same parts shownby reversing the faces of the extension 6 in the housing 4 and insertingthe machine screw 8 through a slot on the housing face 34 similar to andaligned with the slot 10.

Although the bracket assembly of this invention is comprised entirely ofsheet metal parts, these parts when assembled are very rigid and capableof assuming any load conventionally supported by a traverse or curtainrod. Additionally, the bracket can be adjustably preset and is adaptableto either a right or left side installation.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modificationsand adaptations of the structure above described will become readilyapparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention,the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bracket assembly for supporting a curtain or traverse rod at theend thereof, comprising; a base having a central planar portion and twopairs of flanges extending inwardly from opposite lateral edges thereof,said flanges and said central planar portion defining an inwardlytapered downwardly extending discontinuous slot, a rectangular sheetmetal housing having an opening at one end and two pairs of outwardlyextending flanges at its other end, said housing flanges having slidingengagement in the tapered slots formed on the said base, the housingflanges further having tapered edges of substantially the same lateraldimension as the tapered slot to provide a frictional engagementtherebetween, a sheet metal ex tension plate having a base portiondisposed between a pair of offset flange portions, said flange portionsbeing in a vertical plane parallel to and spaced from the plane of thebase portion, said flange portions and said base portion having slidingengagement with internal opposing vertical faces of the sheet metalhousing, means on said extension plate for securing a curtain rodthereto, and means adjustably securing the extension to the housing.

2. A bracket assembly for supporting a curtain or traverse rod at theend thereof, comprising; a base having a central planar portion and twopairs of flanges extending inwardly from opposite lateral edges thereof,said flanges and said central portion defining an inwardly tapereddownwardly extending discontinuous slot, a rectangular sheet metalhousing having an opening at one end and two pairs of outwardlyextending flanges at its other end, said housing flanges having acomplementary sliding engagement within the tapered slots defined bysaid base, the housing flanges further having tapered edges ofsubstantially the same lateral dimension as the tapered slot to providea frictional engagement therebetween, protuberances on said baseextending into said tapered slot below one of said two pairs of flanges,said protuberances engaging the lower edge of said flanges when saidbase flanges are engaged with said housing flanges, a sheet metalextension plate having a central portion lying in one plane and disposedbetween a pair of offset portions lying in a spaced parallel planeextending through the outer end of said housing and slidingly engagingopposing vertical faces of the housing, and means adjustably securingthe extension plate to the housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,613,074 Biles Ian. 4, 1927 1,739,551 Kasbarian Dec. 17, 1929 1,742,140Girard Dec. 31, 1929 1,787,734 Rowling Jan. 6, 1931 2,335,896 AndersonDec. 7, 1943 2,913,213 Folker Nov. 17, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 227,767Switzerland Sept. 16, 1943

1. A BRACKET ASSEMBLY FOR SUPPORTING A CURTAIN OF TRAVERSE ROD AT THEEND THEREOF, COMPRISING; A BASE HAVING CENTRAL PLANAR PORTION AND TWOPAIRS OF FLANGES EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM OPPOSITE LATERAL EDGES THEREOF,SAID FLANGES AND SAID CENTRAL PLANAR PORTION DEFINING AN INWARDLYTAPERED DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING DISCONTINOUS SLOT, A RECTANGULAR SHEETMETAL HOUSING HAVING AN OPENING AT ONE END OF TWO PAIRS OF OUTWARDLYEXTENDING FLANGES AT ITS OTHER END, SAID HOUSING FLANGES HAVING SLIDINGENGAGEMENT IN THE TAPERED SLOTS FORMED ON THE SAID BASE, THE HOUSINGFLANGES FURTHER HAVING TAPERED EDGES OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME LATERALDIMENSION AS THE TAPERED SLOT TO PROVIDE A FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENTTHEREBETWEEN, A SHEET METAL EXTENSION PLATE HAVING A BASE PORTIONDISPOSED BETWEEN A PAIR OF OFFSET FLANGE PORTIONS, SAID FLANGE PORTIONSBEING IN A VERTICAL PLANE PARALLEL TO AND SPACED FROM THE PLANE OF THEBASE PORTION, SAID FLANGE PORTIONS AND SAID BASE PORTION HAVING SLIDINGENGAGEMENT WITH INTERNAL OPPOSING VERTICAL FACES OF THE SHEET METALHOUSING, MEANS ON SAID EXTENSION PLATE FOR SECURING A CURTAIN RODTHERETO, AND MEANS ADJUSTABLY SECURING THE EXTENSION TO THE HOUSING.